March Outlook: Colombia

Faro
09.04.2022
6 minutes Reading

The Panorama Lighthouse is a section that is responsible for highlighting the most important releases in Ibero-America and is published simultaneously in all the media that make up the alliance, thus multiplying its reach and visibility. Every delivery updates us on the struggles in each of our countries, currently going through the reality of COVID-19, and on the news of their musical ecosystems. As we always say, there is much to discover out there. If you want to know what the region sounds like today, this is the place and the time.

Lighthouse is composed of IndieToday (Argentina), sounds from here (Bolivia), Scream&Yell (Brazil), shock (Colombia), Magazine AM:PM (Cuba), POTQ (Chili), Sound World and Construction Area (Spain), Indie Rocks! (Mexico), Rock Achorao' (Peru) and Piiila (Uruguay). It also works to create original and innovative content, as well as various activities that serve to break down borders and build bridges between the different countries of Ibero-America.

Colombia

By Sebastian Peña /Shock.co

Since 2021 we knew that March would be a busy month for the music industry in Colombia, but we never expected so much to happen. The band from Bogota Morat performed five nights at the Movistar Arena in Bogota and became the act with the most sold-out concerts at that venue. Miley Cyrus visited Colombia as part of her festival tour in Latin America and performed for the first time in a long time the song "Miley Cyrus". Angels Like You. Caifanes and Fito Páez played sold-out concerts at La Macarena in Medellín and Barranquilla successfully celebrated its famous Carnival.

And now comes the roller coaster...

The international Jamming Festival cancelled one day before it was scheduled to begin. Almost 150,000 people were expected to attend the event over three days. The event was to be held in Ibagué, with stages already set up, international artists traveling to Colombia and attendees with separate accommodations.

It was a tragedy for the revival of live events and, above all, a nightmare for merchants who were filled with debts to buy products they could not sell. It is a dark episode in the history of the city of Ibagué and a festival that will hardly recover from this one, despite the respect it had acquired in 10 editions.

What did happen, and with grace and finesse, was the Estéreo Picnic Festival, which, although it fulfilled and filled the void we had of festivals, was overshadowed by the sudden death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. See our special report here: Stereo Picnic Festival.

And, well, as always, lots of national music. These were our favorite releases of the month.

Four years passed between Like fish in icethe debut album of the Bogotá band Nicolás y los fumadores, and God and the lulo bush (or what to do in case you have lost the light).. This is one of the most awaited albums of the national alternative music and will surely have an important impact in Latin America.

Gloria Martínez is the female voice of Chocquibtown, but after almost 20 years with the group she decided to start her solo career with the release of some original songs and covers of songs that inspired her to become the artist she is today. In her first album, which comes hand in hand with an HBO documentary recorded in Condoto, Chocó, she does covers, including his new single In Another's Letterand songs by Soraya, Joe Arroyo, Carlos Vives and Tito Puente.

Four years after It's the fucking dreamThe Bogota native presents all of theracks that make up his second recording project, Back to basics, in which they collaborate with Soelia, Ruzto, Nicolás y los fumadores and Hi-Kymon. For Pablito, "this album is more than just about my childhood, it's a nostalgic longing for that time. I hope you like it. What beautiful and rare times".

Curved BodyThe song, composed by Valentina Añez, was born from the desire to capture in a song the reflections of a woman. The song focuses on capturing the desire of the value of the person regardless of how her body looks. "I don't want to be a goddess, or depend on my body; I don't want to be a saint, I want to be what I want," says one of the verses. In the words of the twins, "after writing it with a guitar, we felt the need to listen to it with different accompaniments to the pedal of loops and to the minimalist and unconventional instruments we normally use".

At the end of the monthKomba, Ruzto, D'Avila is a song about being with little money, arriving at the last days of the month with few pesos in your pocket and still being able to party with friends. It has a visual work done by Tilo Gómez and Juan Triana where the song is honored. The clip is starred by the three musicians who start to work and from one moment to the next everything escalates; the apartment becomes an improvised discotheque to dance, chat and have fun.

Colombian singer and rapper Farina is the main figure of the film. Flow Calle. The film tells the story of a neighborhood artist named Queen Yiselle who will have to face many obstacles to pursue her dreams. The project features appearances by Yandel, Lenny Tavarez, Myke Towers, Zion, Kiko el Crazy, Bulin 47, Gabriel, La Ross Maria and Musicólogo.

Premiered as part of the commemoration of Women's Month, Mala Hierba by Matilda Noxes is a song composed by the singer from Tolima in which she breathes feminine strength and where there is an invitation to open the eyes to stop having in mind superficialities that affect people. "Who said that the only beautiful thing were the flowers, if the rocks also have a thousand colors," says one of the lines of the song.

De Fuego is a song written by María Alejandra Plata (Lunalé) and Julián Bernal that was released a few months ago, but that takes a new force with the interpretation of ten female voices that have fought for the feminine art from the independent music. The song talks about the female struggle for independence, freedom, renewal and power. In this version that premieres as part of the commemoration of International Women's Day, María Cristina Plata, Natalia Medina, Juliana Velásquez, María McCausland, Lunalé, Pilar Cabrera, Brina Quoya, Paula Van Hissenhoven, Nicole Ocampo and Sabi Satizabal participate with their voices and instruments.